Clean aromas of blackberry and cassis are joined by Shiraz spice on the nose. Flavors are fruity and somewhat soft on the entry. This is more red fruited than you might expect, with leather, spice and light toast combining with perfectly ripe fruit.

WINE INFORMATION

Bob Lynde is a native of Portland Oregon who fell in love with South Africa and its wines while the country still faced an international economic boycott.  When the boycott was lifted in the early ‘90s, he was ready, founding Cape Classics, one of the first companies to import South African wines to the US.  He began a collaborative project with local growers, the “Bob’s African” line of wines—solid sippers offering great value—and 10% of the proceeds went to local NGOs in the communities where the wines were produced.  He sold the import company in 2005 to focus on developing the Fat Barrel Brand, which includes both South African and Oregon wines, and continues the Bob’s wines as well.

The Fat Barrel line of wines uses fruit grown by “selected” growers that Fat Barrel has worked with for more than 10 years.

The 2018 vintage was one of the most difficult vintages in South Africa’s history as the country was in the middle dramatic drought.  Yields were exceptional small, returning excellent quality fruit. Grapes for this wine came from 4 different sites. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz were fermented and aged separately. The Cabernet grapes were aged in French and American oak for 4-6 months while the Shiraz remained unoaked.

FOOD PAIRING

Because of its smoky character, enjoy with anything off the grill. Lamb, steak with fresh crushed peppercorns, heartier dishes with Moroccan spices, tomato sauce based pasta, beans, mushrooms and roasted root vegetables would pair well with this wine. Its the perfect party-barbeque wine!